Chapter 2: Not Enough
Weeks go by and Kurt and Blaine become closer and closer as friends. They have frequent coffee dates and movie nights at one of their apartments, but they only have it at Blaine's when Elliott isn't home. Blaine doesn't want to overwhelm Kurt with Elliott's lack of filter quite yet.
Elliott, while still cautious for Blaine's sake, is surprisingly supportive. A few times, he goes out to spend the night at Bailey's so Kurt and Blaine can have their move nights. It only took one time finding them cuddling on the couch for Elliott to realize that Kurt usually spent the night. Since then, he's given them some space. He's glad that Blaine has a new friend, someone who makes him feel "normal" and "alive." That's how Blaine always describes it. And Elliott would feel awful taking that away from his best friend.
However, he starts to notice a change in the dynamic after about two months of Kurt and Blaine's friendship.
One night, he comes home to find them in Blaine's room when he wasn't expecting a sleepover. But this is different. Usually they stay on the couch or Blaine lets Kurt take the bed and Blaine lies on the couch. Silently, Elliott watches from the doorway. He hears Blaine talking to Kurt while the blue-eyed boy sleeps. "I'll never let anyone hurt you, Kurt. I… I really, really care about you," he whispers, brushing Kurt's hair out of his eyes. He watches Kurt sleep with a tender gaze, even going so far as to press a gentle kiss to Kurt's forehead.
Elliott decides that, rather than intruding on the private moment, he will confront Blaine in the morning.
And he does just that.
"Blaine, what do you think you're doing?" he hisses, startling Blaine awake. "Blaine! Have you lost your mind?"
Blaine shakes his head sleepily. "Nope. Just my heart. And my soul, I guess, but he doesn't need to know that yet."
"Wait, wait, wait," Elliott says with a disbelieving laugh, holding his hands up. "What do you mean, 'yet'? You can't tell him!"
"He won't say anything, Elliott!" Blaine defends. "He isn't like that. I trust him."
"I knew this was going to happen," Elliott mutters, shaking his head. "I knew it. You just couldn't help yourself, could you? You had to fall for a human."
"It's not like I was actively trying to do it," Blaine says, glaring at him. "He's just…" he trails off, looking down at Kurt and smiling softly. "He's special," he finishes. Then he looks up at Elliott sharply. "And by the way? Last night, I tried sleeping. And with him next to me, it's the first time in centuries that I haven't had nightmares." That brings Elliott to a pause and his eyes widen. "Yeah. He makes me feel safe, okay? I know that's crazy because it's not like I'm all that delicate anymore, but it's true. Now get out of here before you wake him up. It's, like, four o'clock in the morning, you psycho."
Elliott manages a small laugh, shaking his head as he leaves the room. So maybe he overreacted a little. He's just worried about his friend. He has a right to be protective, doesn't he?
As for Blaine, he decides it'd be best—and it'd appear the least creepy—if he was caught sleeping on Kurt's shoulder rather than staring at Kurt while he sleeps. Yes, definitely less creepy. At least he can't get blamed for something he does while he's sleeping. Even if he isn't really sleeping.
A few hours later, Kurt wakes up to soft curls tickling his chin. He smiles and blinks his eyes open, looking down at Blaine's sleeping face. He wonders if Blaine knows how adorable he looks while he's sleeping. He also wonders if Blaine would wake up if Kurt kissed him on the forehead. He decides to try it. Blaine stirs a bit but he doesn't wake up. Kurt smiles softly at him.
After a few minutes, Blaine wakes up. He wasn't really sleeping, but Kurt doesn't need to know that.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Kurt says when Blaine subconsciously cuddles closer to his side. "How'd you sleep?"
"Better than I have in years," Blaine mumbles happily. "Knowing you're safe, I slept perfectly."
"Speaking of that, thank you for letting me stay here. I know I showed up suddenly…"
"It's fine," Blaine says with a smile. "What happened, though? You seemed pretty scared, whatever it was." Blaine's frown turns to a frown of concern and he sits up so he can see Kurt's face easier. Kurt sits up as well, sighing.
"I was scared," he admits. "I was running from this guy who was trying to… I don't know. I don't know what he was doing, but he kept saying I 'smelled delicious.' Whatever that means." Blaine's heart sinks and his mind instantly goes to Alec. Concern turns to anger. How dare he try to hurt Kurt? The one person who has ever made Blaine feel like he's a normal person? The only person who Blaine loves and can't truly protect? "Anyway, I was able to get away. I don't know if he followed me, but I didn't know where else to go so I came here. But the worst part was his eyes. They were glowing, but they weren't a normal color either. They were crimson, like blood."
It has to be Alec, Blaine thinks, terrified. Alec and Justin are the only other vampires in the city that Blaine knows of; at least, ones that hunt. There are some like Blaine who don't hunt. But if Alec or Justin followed Kurt to Blaine and Elliott's apartment, then he knows that Blaine knows Kurt. And they aren't going to be happy about it.
"That's odd," Blaine says, running through the thought process in a matter of seconds. He pretends to be puzzled by the description, just like Kurt is. "Are you hurt, though? He didn't hurt you, right?"
Kurt smiles. "No, Blaine, I'm fine. I was just a little scared last night, but I'm fine now. I'm just… glad I have you." He pauses, reaching out to hold Blaine's hand with trembling fingers. "You make me feel safe, Blaine. Somehow, when I'm around you, I feel like I don't have to be afraid of anything. I've never trusted anyone this much."
Blaine's chest tightens and he almost pulls his hand away, but he's learned by now that this is Kurt's way of showing affection. He uses physical touch to convey his feelings. And it scares Blaine because he's afraid that Kurt will notice too much. He'll notice that Blaine doesn't have a pulse. He'll notice that his skin gets too cold or too hot sometimes. He'll notice that Blaine's eyes flicker with red, straying from their usual golden color.
"I feel safe with you, too," he admits quietly, his voice trembling. He isn't used to opening up to anyone except for Elliott. And even then, there's really only so much that Elliott can do. Somehow, in the past few months, Kurt has helped Blaine so much. Blaine wants to be completely honest with him, but he can't. The thought kills him. "You… you make me feel happy again."
"Blaine…" Kurt says softly, rubbing his thumb over Blaine's knuckles and putting his other hand gently on Blaine's cheek. Blaine sucks in a sharp breath, exhaling shakily and watching Kurt carefully. "I don't ever want you to be unhappy."
"Then don't ever leave me," Blaine says before he can stop himself. And before he can regret the revealing words, he feels Kurt's lips on his. He feels both of Kurt's hands holding his face, tenderly stroking his cheekbones. He feels Kurt crawling onto his lap and he… he panics. "Kurt, wait," he gasps. Kurt pulls back, concern filling his eyes. Blaine takes a few calming deep breaths before he speaks. "I… I can't."
Kurt holds Blaine's hand between his own. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No," Blaine sighs. "No, you didn't. That… I… You're amazing, Kurt. And believe me when I say that I've wanted to do that since we first met for coffee." Kurt laughs softly, smiling. Blaine smiles a little and squeezes Kurt's hand. "It's just that, when I was younger, I was… I was almost… sexually assaulted." He closes his eyes tightly. He's never even told Elliott about that part of the night he was bitten. The man was a total creep. But now Kurt knows and Blaine is afraid of how he'll react.
"Blaine, I… I'm so sorry. We don't have to do anything that you don't want to, okay? Even if you want to just hold hands, that's fine. I… I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or unsafe around me."
"You don't," Blaine assures him, smiling and leaning forward to kiss Kurt again. "I just—mmph—don't like not having control," he says between kisses. "It scares me and I panic." He presses in closer for a deep, meaningful kiss. Kurt melts against him, holding Blaine's shoulders tightly. "But I trust you," he says when they pull away. "I really care about you and I trust you, so much."
Kurt smiles and wraps his arms around Blaine's shoulders, hugging him close. "So… are we really doing this? Does this mean we're a couple?"
Blaine grins. "I think it does, yeah. I'll just have to find a way to tell my roommate."
"Are you sure you even have a roommate?" Kurt asks skeptically, the teasing undertones giving him away. Blaine laughs but Kurt continues. "I'm serious! I've never even met him and I'm here, like, all the time."
"I know, I know," Blaine says, sighing. "You'll meet him eventually. He's just not around a lot. He works graveyard shifts and he… sleeps during the day."
"So when do I get to meet the infamous roommate of my charming boyfriend?" Kurt asks. Blaine laughs softly, blushing, and kisses Kurt lightly.
"Soon, I promise. As long as I get to keep the honoring title," he says.
"What? 'My boyfriend'?" Blaine nods and Kurt grins at him. "Of course you do. I'm proud to call you my boyfriend, Blaine Anderson."
"Likewise, Kurt Hummel," Blaine replies with a grin to match Kurt's. "I couldn't be prouder."
"You did what now?" Elliott demands in disbelief. Kurt left and Blaine told Elliott about their conversation. Needless to say, he isn't reacting well.
"I thought you said you wouldn't blame me if I fell for him!" Blaine squeaks.
"Falling for him and agreeing to be his boyfriend are two very different things!" Elliott points out, raising his voice. When Blaine flinches at the tone, Elliott sighs and softens a bit. "Listen, you know I'm just worried about you. I want what's best for you."
"Kurt is what's best for me!" Blaine says, desperate to make Elliott understand. "Haven't you noticed anything different about me since I met him? Haven't you noticed how happy he makes me? Can't you see that he is helping me feel like myself again?"
"I have noticed that," Elliott says. "That's what I'm worried about."
Blaine frowns. "So you're saying I shouldn't be with him. You're saying that I shouldn't ever fall in love because there's a chance I might end up heartbroken? If I remember correctly, I'm pretty sure I've heard you say that the times you had with Jes were some of the best moments of your existence. You said you wouldn't give them up for anything, even if it would bring him back." Elliott flinches and Blaine sighs. "Maybe I will get hurt. Maybe it won't work out. But what if it does? You of all people should know that love is worth the possibility of pain. What if this is my chance to finally feel like I'm worth something? Like I have a purpose? Don't I deserve that chance?"
"Of course you do," Elliott says, sinking into the armchair and running a hand over his face. "You deserve it. I just want you to be certain that he's worth it—"
"He is," Blaine says with complete certainty. He's waited multiple lifetimes for someone like Kurt. There's no room in his mind for hesitation. "He's worth everything and then some. I love him."
Elliott nods. "In that case… go get him, tiger," he says with a sincere smile. Blaine grins and meets him in the middle for a hug.
"You're the best friend a guy could ask for."
"Well, I try," Elliott says. Blaine laughs and smacks his shoulder.
"You ruined it."
"It's what I do," he shrugs.
Later that night, Elliott and Blaine decide to go for a walk. It's a nice night so they can get away with wearing light jackets. Just as they're walking past an alleyway, hands grab them and pull them into the darkness.
"Hey!" Blaine starts to say but it's muffled by a hand holding a cloth over his mouth. That's definitely not human, though, because if it were Blaine would be able to pull away. He can't. He struggles to pull out of the grip around his neck and arms, seeing that Elliott is doing the same. But he can't see the face of the figure behind Elliott. "Let us go!" Blaine hisses when he manages to yank his head away from the cloth over his mouth.
"Come on, Anderson, we just want to talk," the guy behind him says. Blaine lets out a strangled gasp and the cloth is back over his mouth in an instant. Alec. He knows that voice. But what do Alec and Justin want with Blaine and Elliott? "Oh, don't pretend like you aren't glad to see us," he says in a condescending voice before shoving Blaine to the ground, face down. Blaine gets up to his hands and knees before Alec pushes him back down with a foot on his back. "It's been a long time, my friends."
"Not long enough," Blaine mutters, trying in vain to get up. But Alec is stronger than him. The advantages of being a hunter, Blaine would guess.
Alec shakes his head, making a few 'tsk' noises with his tongue. With each one, he pushes Blaine harder into the concrete. Blaine groans as one particularly hard push actually presses hard enough to crack the ground. "Now, that's no way to treat your friends, is it? Come on, get up and greet us. Properly, like your parents taught you, Blaine."
He tells him to get up but he only presses him down harder. Blaine groans in frustration and rolls to the side, hoping it'll make Alec lose his footing. It doesn't. The hunter just laughs and steps off to the side as Blaine stands and brushes himself off, glaring at the other man. "Nice to see you again, Alec," he says through gritted teeth. He's always hated that Alec has that kind of power over others; but he hates it especially when it's used against him. Alec can weave his way through people's minds, more so when he's had time to understand them, and get them to do exactly what he wants. Very rarely can Blaine ever fight it. "What do you want?" he snaps.
Alec laughs, delighted by Blaine's frustration. "Like I said, I just want to talk. You know how I love to tease you, Blaine." He laughs again before continuing. "I have an issue to discuss with you. It's about your little human friend." Blaine stops in his tracks, eyes widening in fear. Alec laughs again. "I knew that'd get your attention. You see, I can't have him messing up our little games here in the city. If he finds out about us… Well, let's just say it won't be pretty. So I suggest you cut all ties and tell the poor boy to move on if you care anything about his safety."
After years of knowing Alec, Blaine knows that he wouldn't leave Kurt alone even if he was no longer a threat to their secret. He knows not to trust the hunter.
"You stay away from him!" Blaine practically growls it, launching forward and pinning the other man to the brick wall. "If you touch him, I swear I'll—"
"You'll what?" Alec prompts, smirking. "You can't do anything to me. You're weak, Blaine. You can't protect him and you know it."
Blaine backs off as if he was slapped, stumbling a bit as he realizes that Alec's right. He can't do a thing to protect Kurt if Alec comes after him. Alec's always been stronger. He's even stronger than Elliott.
Blaine drops to his knees as Alec and Justin leave the alleyway. Alec kicks him until he's flat on his stomach again; then he laughs as he walks away. "Blaine, are you okay?" Elliott asks him, helping him up.
"I'm fine," Blaine murmurs. "Elliott, I have to tell Kurt."
"Blaine, that'll just make him more of a target—"
"You and I both know that Alec won't leave him alone," Blaine interrupts. "He'll come for Kurt either way. He gets bored. He likes to play games. And now he wants me to be his pawn. But I can't let him hurt Kurt. But I can't protect Kurt if he doesn't know what's going on or if he doesn't trust me completely."
Elliott sighs. "Fine. Just wait a few days, okay? This isn't just your secret. It's mine, too. And Bailey's. It's just a few days, I promise."
Reluctantly, Blaine nods. "Fine, fine. I'll tell him this Saturday, okay? Until then, he's coming over for movie nights. I can't let him out of my sight when it's dark out. That's when Alec attacks."
"Okay, that's fair. I understand you need to do whatever you can to protect him. I understand that better than anyone, trust me."
"I know, Ell," he says with a small smile. "For tonight, I think he'll be safe. Alec doesn't know where he lives and it's late so he won't be going out. Hopefully."
"Don't worry so much," Elliott says. They start walking home, Elliott putting a comforting arm over Blaine's shoulders. "He'll be safe tonight. And he'll be safe tomorrow night and the night after because he's got you. And I've never seen someone so determined to protect the ones they love. It doesn't matter what Alec does. He's not going to hurt Kurt."
Blaine appreciates the assurances from Elliott. He really does. He just wishes they were enough to keep Kurt safe in his arms. He just wishes they were enough to keep him hidden from Alec and all other dangers in the world, forever and ever. But most of all, he wishes that he'd never put Kurt in danger in the first place. He wishes that he could let Kurt go and forget about how much he really needs the beautiful man. He wishes that he didn't need him.
He wishes that he wasn't so selfish for keeping Kurt too close.
A/N: Oh, look, I actually have this going somewhere. I didn't think I would when I started writing this story. But little plot ideas keep popping up like whack-o-moles. That was a lame comparison and I apologize.
Until next time!
Review please :)
